Angelina Jolie had never sung onscreen – or in public – before she signed on to star as the legendary opera singer Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s biopic Maria, which had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on Thursday.
‘Everybody here knows, I was terribly nervous,’ the 49-year-old Oscar winner told reporters at a press conference.
‘I spent almost seven months training because when you work with Pablo you can’t do anything by half. He demands, in the most wonderful way, that you really do the work and you really learn and train.’
Angelina enlisted vocal coach Eric Vetro – whose clients include Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, John Legend, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Rosalía, and Charlie Puth.
‘My first time singing I remember being so nervous. My sons were there and they helped lock the door so that nobody else was coming in, and I was shaky. I was frightened,’ described Jolie – who’s mother to Maddox, 23; Pax, 20; and Knox, 16.
Angelina Jolie had never sung onscreen – or in public – before she signed on to star as the legendary opera singer Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s biopic Maria, which had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on Thursday
The 49-year-old Oscar winner told reporters at a press conference: ‘Everybody here knows, I was terribly nervous. I spent almost seven months training because when you work with Pablo you can’t do anything by half. He demands, in the most wonderful way, that you really do the work and you really learn and train’
‘Pablo, in his decency, started me in a small room and ended me in [the Paris opera house] La Scala. So he gave me time to grow.’
The former Hollywood wild child – who grew up listening to The Clash – said her biggest ‘fear’ would be to ‘disappoint’ the ardent fanbase of Maria: ‘I really came to care for her, so I didn’t want to do a disservice to this woman.’
And while the film is mostly set in the seventies, Angelina appears to recreate Callas’ (born Kalogeropoulos) 1958 performance at a Paris gala, which was broadcast through Eurovision.
The New York-born Greek belter’s powerful soprano pipes had three distinct registers and measured just short of three octaves, and she performed her final concert in 1965 following a decline blamed on everything from dermatomyositis, to early onset menopause, to her extreme 80lb weight loss in 1954.
Maria – who had an affair with Aristotle Onassis while he was married to former FLOTUS Jacqueline Kennedy – spent her last 11 years living in Paris after renouncing her American citizenship, and she died at age 53, from a heart attack in 1977.
The movie depicts Callas rehearsing for an imagined performance that never comes to be as a camera crew led by Stranger Things star Kodi Smit-McPhee films her.
In the first clip of Maria, released Thursday, the operatic diva worries her butler Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino) over ignoring her blood doctor’s order and medication recommendations as she was ‘controlling’ her use of the hypnotic sedative, methaqualone.
‘And when I write my autobiography I will title it The Day Ferruccio Saved My Life,’ Maria says.
Angelina enlisted vocal coach Eric Vetro (L, pictured February 15) – whose clients include Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, John Legend, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Rosalía, and Charlie Puth (R)
Jolie – who’s mother to Maddox, 23; Pax, 20; and Knox, 16 – recalled: ‘My first time singing I remember being so nervous. My sons were there and they helped lock the door so that nobody else was coming in, and I was shaky. I was frightened’ (pictured in 2019)
![She continued: 'Pablo (R), in his decency, started me in a small room and ended me in [the Paris opera house] La Scala. So he gave me time to grow'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/29/18/89074261-13793539-She_continued_Pablo_R_in_his_decency_started_me_in_a_small_room_-m-45_1724954372685.jpg)
She continued: ‘Pablo (R), in his decency, started me in a small room and ended me in [the Paris opera house] La Scala. So he gave me time to grow’
The former Hollywood wild child – who grew up listening to The Clash – said her biggest ‘fear’ would be to ‘disappoint’ the ardent fanbase of Maria: ‘I really came to care for her, so I didn’t want to do a disservice to this woman’
The New York-born Greek belter’s powerful soprano pipes had three distinct registers and measured just short of three octaves, and she performed her final concert in 1965 following a decline blamed on everything from dermatomyositis, to early onset menopause, to her extreme 80lb weight loss in 1954 (pictured in 1952)
Maria – who had an affair with Aristotle Onassis (L, pictured in 1959) while he was married to former FLOTUS Jacqueline Kennedy – spent her last 11 years living in Paris after renouncing her American citizenship, and she died at age 53, from a heart attack in 1977
‘And what day was that?’ Ferruccio asked.
‘Every day. Every single day. It’s why I hate you. I fall into a river and you always fish me out,’ Callas quips.
Two-time Oscar-nominated prosthetics designer Arjen Tuiten was hired to transform Jolie’s face, but she still appears to have her own tiny nose rather than the characteristically large one Maria had in real life.
On Wednesday, Netflix bought the US distribution rights, but a release date has yet to be announced for Maria, which is in competition for Venice’s Golden Lion prize.
The movie depicts Callas (born Kalogeropoulos) rehearsing for an imagined performance that never comes to be as a camera crew led by Stranger Things star Kodi Smit-McPhee films her
In the first clip of Maria, released Thursday, the operatic diva worries her butler Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino) over ignoring her blood doctor’s order and medication recommendations as she was ‘controlling’ her use of the hypnotic sedative, methaqualone
‘And when I write my autobiography I will title it The Day Ferruccio Saved My Life,’ Maria says
‘And what day was that?’ Ferruccio asked
‘Every day. Every single day. It’s why I hate you. I fall into a river and you always fish me out,’ Callas quips
Two-time Oscar-nominated prosthetics designer Arjen Tuiten was hired to transform Angelina’s face, but she still appears to have her own tiny nose rather than the characteristically large one Maria had in real life
On Wednesday, Netflix bought the US distribution rights, but a release date has yet to be announced for Maria, which is in competition for Venice’s Golden Lion prize
Maria is the third and final film in the 48-year-old Chilean filmmaker’s trilogy of iconic women, succeeding Jackie (2016) and Spencer (2021), which scored both Natalie Portman and Kristen Stewart Oscar nods
Jolie will next be honored with the TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media on September 8 at the Toronto International Film Festival – the same day as the world premiere of her fifth feature directorial effort Without Blood starring Salma Hayek (pictured)
Maria is the third and final film in the 48-year-old Chilean filmmaker’s trilogy of iconic women, succeeding Jackie (2016) and Spencer (2021), which scored both Natalie Portman and Kristen Stewart Oscar nods.
The ensemble cast also includes Valeria Golino, Haluk Bilginer, Alba Rohrwacher, Pierfrancesco Favino, and Alessandro Bressanello.
It marks the Tony-winning producer’s first acting role since Chloé Zhao’s dismally-reviewed 2021 MCU flick Eternals.
Angelina will next be honored with the TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media on September 8 at the Toronto International Film Festival – the same day as the world premiere of her fifth feature directorial effort Without Blood starring Salma Hayek.
